So, what would you have done in my predicament . . .

I'm walking outside the mall this morning, and I look down and spot a $50 bill on the ground. I snatch it up, and immediately look ahead of me to see if anyone has just passed over that patch of ground. Up ahead about 40 ft is a gentleman, about my age.

I approach him as he is entering the mall, and ask him if he happens to have lost any money? He checks his pockets and says "yeah, I think so". I said "how much?". He says "at least $20". I said "sorry, wrong amount".

He see's me glance at the money, which is a bright pink (our notes are colored green for $20, pink for $50). In fact what I had found was two $50's, but he didn't see that . . .

I walk around the mall a little, feeling slightly guilty about the find, especially since I thought I lost my wallet with $100 in it this morning. I hadn't, fortunately.

So, as I am leaving the mall, he and his daughter (or wife?) approach me and say, "that was our money after all". I said "hmmmm.... what to do now?" (out loud). I was more then happy to give it back to him originally, but now???

I said "ok, how much was it?". He says "at least 2 X $50".

What would you have done?

Cherie

I would have given him the money. I would like to assume he is being honest especially since he got the amount right. I figure he probably had time to check more thoroughly and figure out what was missing.

Also, I don't think I could have kept it and spent it anyway. If he was lying, he has to live with his conscience, but mine would be clear.

That's a tough one, Cherie. I think I would have reported it to the mall office and given them my number to call me if anyone inquired about found money. I know better than to just turn in a wad of cash.


A friend and I once found 3 $100 rolled up tight about as thick as a pencil. We went to the mall office and told them only that we'd found some money. They (two 20-something guys) tried to talk us into turning it in, but their looks told us not to. So, we gave them our home phone #s and asked them to call us if anyone asked about lost money. That night, the call came and they gave me the person's phone number and requested I call. Turned out, it belonged to a young couple (the "he" of whom will never live it down, I'm sure) and it was all their Christmas money for their two babies. My friend and I met them at the restaurant next to the mall and gave it back. The wife had said during our call, "I don't know WHY that idiot thinks rolling up money is smart!" Evidence. If you plan to lose money, make it look unique!

I've never found any money (except for my own). I find it in my coat pockets, and I know it belongs to me, and I always return it to the original owner.

I suppose I ought to be looking down more when I am out in public. I could become rich.

That is a tough one Cherie. I think you did the right thing tho b/c he did take the time to find you and did have the right amount and number of bills. Taking a wild guess and coming up with the right amount is one thing, but knowing that there were 2 bills is something quite different.

If he didn't have both correct, I would have taken AMN's suggestion and gone to Mall security and reported the loss.

Consider it your "random act of kindness" for the day!

You did the right thing, Cherie.

I'm a firm believer in karma, and I suspect that your act of kindness will be repaid many times over.

I pulled up to an ATM in a strange town once to get some cash for gas.

There was an elderly man in a car at the ATM, and it was obvious that he was having problems with the machine. I just sat and waited for him to figure it out and go.

When I pulled up to the machine there was $100.00 dollars in the slot and a card sticking out.

I grabbed that cash and that card and drove like a maniac to catch him. Fortunately he had a distinctive car. He looked at me when I pulled up beside him at the stoplight, and then drove off as fast as he could.

I caught him again at the next light and held up the cash and the card. He pulled over and stopped and I explained myself.

He started crying and told me his wife had been taken to a hospital a long distance from where we were, and that he realized he would need gas for the trip, so he lost the ambulance when he stopped, and then the machine didn't give him the money or the card. He figured his wife would understand and that if he had to he could sleep in his car until he could call the bank and get it straightened out.

He tried to give me $50.00. I refused. I told him I would like to think someone would have done it if it was my grandfather. We both went our separate ways after he gave me a hug.

I figure that it was worth some brownie points on something inconsiderate I have done in the past.

You did the right thing in my opinion Cherie, but like AMN I'd have left a phone number for the person to ring.

My DH found quite a lot of money just a couple of weeks ago and he left his number at the closest store. The lady who rang us to claim the money was very elderly. She could not get over the fact that we had been honest enough not to have kept her money.

She was extremely grateful and her happiness was my husband's reward.

Well, I didn't really do the "right" thing, to be honest. That's what's bugging me about this. I'll explain why though . . .

When I spotted the money, there was no one close by. I saw the guy ahead, by himself, but didn't even see if he came the route I did.

He stopped to have a cigarette out front, so that was how I was able to catch up with him. He looked like a nice man, clean shaven, well-to-do, etc. I figured he'd be honest.

When I first asked him, he didn't even really check his pockets properly, but he answered "yeah I think I did (lose some money)" . . . I guess thinking that I would just hand it over with no further question. When I asked "how much?", he said "at least $20". That kinda left it wide open, cause if I had two or three $20's in my hand, he had that covered too (maybe a few blew away or something by the time I found it). But, that he said $20's, I knew I had the wrong person and flashed the $50. He did check his pockets before I left though (the convo wasn't really quick or anything).

It was too far to walk to the administration, but my plan was to call them to let them know in case someone came there later . . .

Then, as I am walking out, he (and his wife) approach me, and he has a bit of a song and dance about an exchange of money between them . . . so that's why he didn't know it was missing. My first thought is "how convenient, he knows I have at least one $50, so he can guess anything over one and still claim it's his", right? He was very cagey when I asked how much again, his wife walked away . . . and he covered any/all possibilities with "at least two fifties". So, if I found 4,6, or 10, it could be his . . . or if I found only one, he could have claimed the others "must have blown away", or whatever. He had plenty of time to think through that strategy . . .

So, what I did is split the difference with him. I told him that I was more then happy to give it all to him originally (which many people would have just pocketed it to begin with), but that no matter what I opted at that point I wasn't going to be comfortable.

Now I have this $50 that is making me feel like I stole something. I don't think I have HIS money, to be honest, but I have somebody's (and PERHAPS his).

I should have just gone to the adminstration, so that's why I am posting this as a lesson for others perhaps. Live and learn.

Cherie

If it's worrying you Cherie, donate the rest of the money to the church, or to another charity for the poor.

That won't get it back to it's original owner, but at least it might make a difference to some-one who really needs it......just a thought.